Batley charity shop offers bargains plus warmth and community

At Batley Salvation Army’s charity shop each morning there’s a buzz of activity. Every couple of weeks they have a £1 sale which can see up to 400 customers pass through the doors. 

But the shop, managed by Tanya, is not just there to offer a decent bargain, it’s a hub at the heart of the community where customers and volunteers, including 93-year-old Betty, who marks her 35th year volunteering, are encouraged, supported and feel loved. 

The charity shop is attached to Batley Salvation Army’s church and community centre in Bradford Road, which is led by Majors Carolyn and Paul Wilson, and offers a range of support and activities. 

Betty, who works on Wednesday and Friday afternoons, first started to help when she was going through a low period in her life and her friend Jessie, a Salvation Army member, encouraged her to volunteer. 

Betty said: “I used to iron the clothes. Volunteers were in a pact and we all knew our place, we all had a role. I went from ironing to sorting clothes and now I work in the furniture section, but on the tills - there’s no heavy lifting! 

“I really enjoy it because of the familiarity and the conversations we have. There’s a couple who come on a Friday and every week they’ve baked something – cream cakes, chocolate cake, I look forward to that. It’s like being with family. 

“I’m not very mobile so don’t really go out anywhere but I look forward to going to work. What would I do without The Salvation Army? I would sit in my chair looking out the window or put telly on and that would be it. It’s a bit dramatic to say, but I do think they sort of saved my life. If I didn’t have this, I’d think ‘what am I aiming to live till 100 for?’ Really I’ve enjoyed every minute of it. To be there 30 odd years you’ve got to haven’t you! 

“The charity shop is not like any other out there. It’s a little jewel in the crown. Anyone could walk into the shop and if they need help, someone will help them.” 

Tanya, who has managed the shop for almost a decade, says that Batley Salvation Army charity shop is the ‘cheapest and the best’ in Yorkshire. 

It is also committed to helping people who are coping with some of the most devastating things that life can throw at them. In recent months, they have provided items to two local families who lost everything in a house fire. 

Tanya said: “If someone has a problem our attitude is ‘let’s get it sorted’ and if we can’t sort it let’s find someone who can. We helped two families affected by fire, one we provided furniture to after her house burned down and when she’s in a better place she’s going to donate it back to us.

“We have a lady whose husband took his own life, we’ve been giving her and her little daughter a lot of support emotionally, and helped her to move out of her home. 

“We had a man who was homeless at Christmas, we managed to get him into the lifehouse (Salvation Army run supported accommodation for people experiencing homelessness). He came back about 18 months later and said if he hadn’t had that chance he wouldn’t be where he is now. 

“The people we help they always come back and say thank you. We’ve had people come in and they say ‘if it wasn’t for you I don’t know where I’d be’. 

“We are the cheapest charity shop in Yorkshire. The turnover is so fast that items come in and go out again that day.” 

The atmosphere created is so full of warmth that they have 40 volunteers on the books with a waiting list to join. 

Tanya continued: “We have a volunteer who didn’t think she’d be able to step through door, but is now coming three times a week. Another is still volunteering while living with a brain tumour. 

“It’s fantastic because they at first come in as little mice and we make them into monsters! Some were so quiet and they’re now so out there, they start telling me what to do!”

“A lot of them also come for practical support or because they are hungry. Volunteers will cook and bring food in for each other.

“It’s the warmth, the happiness and the closeness of us all which keeps them coming back. We’re more like a family. We open the door to anyone and we don’t judge. It’s like everyone is connected. It’s real community.”

The charity shop is open Monday to Friday 9am to 4pm and the first Saturday of the month. 

They also collect donations and do house clearances. Find out more here